Best Gift Shop (2012)

We never thought we'd spend money on something this weird looking. But before we knew it, we had an Oreocereus celsianus growing in our apartment. Yes, the mini cactus pots at this Brooklyn store are kind of adorable in a mysterious, anthropomorphic sort of way. The entirely organic gift shop nurses them on site, plus offers a variety of other low-maintenance plants for people with a serial history of killing them. But if that's still too daunting, the helpful staff at Williamsburg's skinnyskinny—each member an expert in his or her own right—seems happy to offer advice on everything, including how to build a terrarium and how to make your own organic soap. It was this type of DIY eco-friendliness that led owner Clara Williams to open her flagship store in 2009, having grown tired of organic products that weren't as effective as conventional brands. Also check out its excellent line of body products—100 percent of them made in the store's own workshop—which include a cellulite-reducing black-coffee scrub and an oh-so-necessary dry shampoo bearing the slogan "Because it's no one's business if you overslept." 268 Grand Street, Brooklyn, 718-366-2201, skinnyskinny.com (11211)